


Unforgetable

by Dearieforever



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:48:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24024601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dearieforever/pseuds/Dearieforever
Summary: During the Ogre Wars, a man is suffers a head injury that leaves him with no memory of the past. With only the initial "R" and his accent as clues to where he belongs, he heads for the Frontlands. On the way he stops at Avonlea and meets the beautiful Belle. Can she help him find a future, even without a past? Loosely base on the movie "Random Harvest."
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Comments: 11
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

The only clue the man had to his past and identity was the letter “R.” It was embroidered on the handkerchief found in his pocket. It was assumed that was his initial. He couldn’t even be positive it was his handkerchief. He might have borrowed it for all he knew. At any rate, it gave the healers something to go off of to guess his name.  
One of them asked if he minded being called Robert. He didn’t. It was a good name, and as good of a guess as any to what his real name was. If the handkerchief was borrowed, he supposed it was his now. The original owner must be dead. No one survived that battle against the ogres, except him. In some ways he supposed it was better that he couldn’t remember, as bad as that battle must have been.  
He’d been found unconscious a short way from the other soldiers. It was assumed he’d been tossed by an ogre. As bad as that must have been, it had saved his life. He’d survived with only an injured leg which he was told would heal in time, and a head injury that left him with no memories. Some healers from the nearest village had heard the sound of the battle, and after all was quiet, they went to search for survivors.  
No one in that village had ever seen him before, and once he was healed there was no reason for him to stay there. It was beyond the healers’ skills to restore his memory, and there was nothing more to be done for his leg. Times were hard, and no one wanted to take on a charity case. He’d left that village behind him after paying the healers with what little gold had been in his money pouch. He wasn’t even sure what he had done for a living. He only knew no one there knew him. Perhaps in the next village, or the next after that, someone would.  
People thought his accent sounded like he was from Dunbroch, or more likely the Frontlands. He decided to set out towards the Frontlands, figuring someone there would know him. It was a sparsely populated place, with many miles between villages. Still, if he kept going someone was bound to recognize him sooner or later. If luck was with him the sight of a familiar face might bring his memory back.  
He made it as far as Avonlea before walking was simply too much for him. He ended up setting down on the rim of a fountain, closing his eyes and stretching out his leg. That brought some relief, but he knew wouldn’t make it anywhere else that day. Honestly, he asked himself, what reason did he have to rush anywhere? He didn’t know for certain if he had any family looking for him. It would take a long time to visit every village in the Frontlands if that were where he was even from.  
He grimaced thinking of all the people he’d meet who were sure to look at him strangely. Some of them might even think it was only a trick to obtain a handout given in sympathy. He had no more idea how he was going to earn a living than what his name was. It would take months to reach the Frontlands, even if his leg was completely healed. He didn’t even know the way. He would need to eat and have shelter as he went, as well as ask directions at every stop. He’d be relying on the charity of others the whole time.  
He would have gone in search of someone who might let him have a meal when he was distracted by a lady in a blue dress. She walked toward him reading a book, with it covering her face so it must have been impossible for her to see. He was surprised at how well she could maneuver through the streets while reading and found the sight almost amusing. It must have been a highly intriguing novel.  
The lady sat down beside him, and that was the first time she looked up from the book. Rumple had thought her dress was a pretty shade of blue. That was nothing compared to her eyes. He could have looked at them for hours. As it was, he looked at them a moment too long to not be accused of staring. He wondered how any man could not stare. She was so beautiful he couldn’t imagine he’d ever seen anyone as lovely as her.  
“Sorry, Dearie,” he caught himself and looked away when he realized she’d seen him staring.  
“Are you all right?” the lady asked. She glanced at the walking stick, and noticed he looked slightly disoriented.  
“As all right as I’ll be for a while,” he answered.  
“What’s your name?” the lady asked, her concern clear. He couldn’t help laughing a bit at the question.  
“I wish I knew.” When she looked at him in confusion, he explained how he couldn’t remember anything before he was injured.  
“That’s terrible!” she couldn’t help shouting when he finished his story. “And- you have nowhere to go? The healers just sent you away like that?”  
“There was nothing more a healer could do for me,” he explained. “My leg just needs time, and no one seems to know how to bring my memory back.”  
Now it was her turn to stare, but in her case, it was caused by an idea forming.  
“What are you calling yourself until you do find out who you really are?”  
“They’ve been calling me Robert.” He shrugged. “Not a bad name. I just wish I knew if it was mine or not.”  
“Well Robert,” the lady told him “I’m Belle. Why don’t you stay in Avonlea for a few days? I mean, no offense but it looks like the healers’ work wasn’t done yet.” She held out her hand. “Come with me, and we’ll find a place for you to rest up a few days. Maybe we can even find you a job for a while. You’ll need money to get wherever you’re going, and you’ll travel faster once your leg is well. If you do too much on it too soon, you’re only going to make it worse. No point in having it end up giving out on you.”  
While he hated to impose, he knew it made more sense than to just keep going. She was right. He nodded and accepted the hand up.  
“Thank you, Belle.” He grabbed his walking stick and followed her. He had a long road ahead of him, but things were already looking a little brighter.


	2. Chapter 2

It was slow going with his leg, but Robert didn’t mind. Belle was certainly pleasant company. He asked about the book she was reading, and she discussed it with such enthusiasm he couldn’t wait to read it for himself. She agreed to let him borrow it, and he wished he could talk about her with books he had read. He couldn’t remember any books though. At least he was sure he knew how to read since the signs outside the shops made sense to him. The Frontlands was known to be a poor, illiterate area.  
He discovered another skill he had when they passed a wool merchant’s shop. There were rolls of poorly spun yarn displayed outside, and Robert picked one up to examine it. It was immediately obvious to him just what mistakes had been made.   
“Whoever spun this removed too much of the lanolin. You want that in the wool to give it a luster and help keep it waterproof. They twisted it all wrong when they were spinning too. Look how uneven it is. Not all that soft either. A truly skilled spinner would know how to blend the wools of different sheep to have the yarn be both strong and soft.”   
When he’d finished his evaluation of the yarn, he stopped with a bit of a shocked expression, as if wondering how he knew that. Somehow, he was sure someone could have blindfolded him and sat him down at a spinning wheel and he could have spun by touch alone.   
“Your memories might come back sooner than you think,” Belle told him with a smile. “You must have been a spinner. You seem to know enough about it.”  
The owner of the shop had overheard, but rather than be upset at the criticism of his goods, he looked at Robert thoughtfully.  
“You think you could do better?”  
“I know I could,” Robert answered. He couldn’t say how he was so sure, but he knew he could spin.  
“I have an old spinning wheel and some freshly carded wool. Want to show me what you can do?”  
Robert looked at Belle, who nodded at him encouragingly. Robert accepted the challenge, and in no time, he was spinning the highest quality yarn the merchant had ever seen.  
“That’s unbelievable!” the merchant gasped.  
“I could have done better yet with better wool,” Robert commented as he critiqued the finished yarn. “This wasn’t prepared the way I-“ he stopped. It was just a flash of memory, but he knew exactly what to do with raw wool to prepare it so he would get the most out of it when he spun. He knew how what he did differed from other spinners.  
“You all right?” the wool merchant asked.  
“Just- remembering something,” Robert said. Belle reached for his hand, as if she could help him to remember. That was the only whisp of memory that came to him though. It wasn’t even a memory exactly. It was knowing something that he didn’t know how he knew.   
“Well if you can spin this well, I’d rather have you working for me than any of my competitors. How would you like a job?”  
The money would certainly be needed. He’d love to not be reduced to begging on the way to wherever his home was. He could pay for his board until his leg was healed enough to walk normally. Yes, accepting that job would be for the best. It didn’t take long to come to an agreement on what Robert would earn and how much spinning was expected of him. The wool merchant, Shaun, was a fair man. Robert had no doubts he would be paid what he deserved. They shook hands, and he agreed to come to the shop the next morning. He would have the use of the spinning wheel and a back room to spin in.   
With everything arranged, he continued on his way as Belle led him to the nearest inn. It smelled like there was a good meal prepared, and the place looked well kept. Hopefully, the bed would be soft. He was already feeling tired. He also hoped the innkeeper would be willing to wait for his money. The healers had taken the last gold he had.  
Belle pointed out the innkeeper to him and explained the situation when the innkeeper came over to them. The other man looked questioningly at Robert.  
“I’m sorry, but I have to ask for payment upfront.”  
“But I gave the last of my gold to the healers. I have a job here in Avonlea. I’ll be paid at the end of the week. I’ll be able to pay easily then.”  
“What if I vouch for him?” Belle asked. “If he does leave without paying, I’ll make sure you get whatever he owes you.”  
Robert looked at her in amazement. She had no reason to trust him. He could be a thief for all she knew. She’d never seen him before, and here she was making sure he had a place to stay. The innkeeper looked thoughtful.  
“I know you and your family aren’t the type to leave a debt unpaid. Very well. If you’ll vouch for him, he can stay.”  
“Thank you,” Robert said, to Belle rather than the innkeeper.   
“It’s nothing,” Belle told him. “I’m hardly going to leave anyone in the street.” She squeezed his hand. “I’ll see you later. I’d better be getting home before my parents worry I got lost wandering around reading.”  
Robert laughed thinking of how she’d been reading as she walked the first time he ever saw her. She gave him one more smile before leaving him to have a meal and get some rest. It was still a bit early for bed, but he went to his room after finishing a plate of stew and bread. There wasn’t much else to do at the moment anyway and stretching out his leg felt so good. He closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep. In his dreams, Belle sat beside him reading a book as he spun. Often, he wished for something in his dreams to remind him of the past. When he woke up, he found himself aching for that dream to be the future.


	3. Chapter 3

Working for Shaun was certainly not difficult. Spinning was a pleasure, and Robert found himself looking forward to work each day. Shaun’s profits greatly improved with Robert working for him, and he was willing to pay Robert fairly as a result. It was a far cry from being wealthy, but Robert was able to pay his bill at the inn, plus set a little aside for when he was ready to leave. He was able to pay for a gift for Belle too  
He would always be grateful to her for her help and kindness. He couldn’t imagine he’d ever forget her, whether or not his memories ever returned. He wanted her to always remember him too. That was why he’d accepted less pay from Shaun in exchange for keeping some of what he spun. He spent his free time crafting a gift for Belle. The day it was ready, he took it with him to their usual meeting place.  
As he walked, he paid attention to how his leg was feeling. It was still not perfect, although it was improving. Walking a bit to stretch it and exercise it felt good but overusing it on the long journey ahead could have caused permanent damage. He still walked slowly and needed to stop to rest his leg often. Staying in Avonlea for now had been the right decision.  
He stopped to rest and wait at the fountain where he had first met Belle. He noticed she usually came past there at the same time every day. They’d met there often. She was the closest thing to a friend he had. When he stopped spinning to have a lunch break every day, he would wait there for her to come past. They’d set together awhile and talk. Out in full view of everyone no one made anything of it. They’d discuss books or how his work was going. It was incredible how they could talk about nothing at all and still feel like they were having a deep conversation.  
She came that day, as she always did. This time she was finally holding the book for him. She looked happy to see him and waved as soon as she saw him.  
“You’re going to love this book,” she said happily. “You can keep it if you like. Sorry, I should have given it to you sooner. I couldn’t resist reading it twice more though.” She laughed. “I think I’ve memorized it as often as I’ve re- read my favorite parts.  
He chuckled. Belle certainly loved a good story.  
“If it’s that good, Dearie, I’m sure I’ll love it. I have something for you, too.” He handed her the package he’d wrapped in some brown paper he’d bought the day before. The plainness of the wrapping was nothing like the gift inside.   
Belle opened it to find a shawl, but not just any shawl. It was a lovely light blue and woven to be light and flowing for spring. It was soft as dandelion fluff, and had a border of bright yellow roses that seemed so real Belle was sure she could smell them. Belle had never seen such skillful work.  
“Oh, Robert it’s beautiful! Did you make this yourself?”  
He nodded, smiling at how much she loved it.   
“I stayed late a few days after work. I wanted to do something to thank you for all you’ve done.”  
“All I did was show you to the inn and vouch for you,” she reminded him.  
“It was more than anyone else did for me,” he told her. “And more than you would have had to do for a stranger.”  
She blushed, and Robert was thinking how beautiful she looked that way when she changed the subject.  
“Your leg seems to be getting better.”  
“Day by day,” he confirmed. He couldn’t be completely happy about that. When his leg was totally healed, he would have no excuse to stay in Avonlea. He would likely have a long, lonely journey until he found someone who knew him. He often wondered what it would be like then. Did he have a wife and children? Siblings? Were his parents still alive? How would they react when he came home, but not truly himself? How long would it take to remember them, if he ever did? It would be so strange for everyone.  
What if there was no one?  
It seemed to him that his life truly began with Belle. There were no memories before her except for the healers taking care of him, and that had been out of little more than a sense of duty and a need for gold. Belle had been kind enough to treat a stranger like a friend. He wondered if he’d ever see her again after he was back home. She was a constant in his life. Already he couldn’t imagine losing that.  
He supposed if he were alone in the world, he would come back to Avonlea. He was contented, as close to happy as he could be with an unknown past. It was possible he had no real reason to go back to wherever home had been. When he looked at Belle, when he saw those beautiful blue eyes, he almost hoped that were the case.  
“Robert?”  
Belle shook him from his thoughts.  
“Just thinking about the road ahead,” he told her. Belle took his hand. Was it his imagination, or did she seem suddenly sad?   
“I hope-.” she hesitated. “I hope you have a good home waiting for you.”  
Robert wondered if that was what she was going to say, and if she would miss him as much as he would miss her.  
“I suppose I’ll find out before too much longer.” He knew the sooner he left, the sooner he’d find out who he was. He didn’t see how he could be completely happy without knowing. It would probably be best if he left as soon as his leg was healed. When Belle was with him, it was becoming a temptation to stay. Part of him knew that. Another part wondered if he’d be better off to forget trying to learn the past and simply focus on the future.  
“Belle,” he said slowly. “You know I don’t have any memories, and I don’t honestly know if they’ll ever return. I want to start making new memories, and I wish-.” He took a breath. “I’ll be finished spinning all the wool I have to spin for now before the day is out. I wanted to have all my work finished before the Ostara celebration tomorrow.” He hesitated but summoned the courage to ask. “I have no one to spend the holiday with. Would you be willing to spend part of the day with me?”  
He knew she had her own family to spend the day with, and he wondered if he shouldn’t have asked. He nearly didn’t believe what he was hearing when she answered.  
“I’d like that. Meet here tomorrow morning?”  
He could only nod in answer. Why was it words so often seemed to fail him around her?   
“See you then,” she said, looking at him in a way that made him nearly melt. She laid the shawl over her shoulder as she left, and he watched her thinking he couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come.


	4. Chapter 4

Ostara morning was bright and clear, with the feeling of spring strong in the air. Robert waited nervously for Belle, wondering if she would come after all. After all, what was he to her? He was just some stranger suffering from amnesia that she’d been kind enough to help. Or- maybe not. He saw her coming towards him, and noticed she was wearing the shawl he made her. She’d complimented how beautiful it was the day before. Seeing her wearing it, he couldn’t help thinking she’d make anything she wore look breathtaking.  
She hurried to him when she saw him, looking like spring itself. For the moment he saw only her. It didn’t matter that the streets were crowded with people out celebrating. Nothing else existed. He was reminded that wasn’t true when her parents came up behind her.  
“So, this is the man with amnesia you helped,” Maurice said rudely. Belle’s mother, Colette, was more polite.  
“Robert, isn’t it?” she asked.  
“At least that’s the only name I have for now,” he answered. He didn’t sound like the idea bothered him as much as it once had. He was in good spirits that day. Not even Maurice was going to change that.  
“So nice to meet you,” Colette said. “You’re already gaining quite a reputation as the best spinner in Avonlea.”  
“Although you won’t be staying in Avonlea, will you?” Maurice asked. Robert wondered why he seemed so cold. Had Belle said something to make him believe she had feelings for him? Did he not like the idea of someone who didn’t even know his own name loving his daughter?  
“I know quite a few people who will be sorry when he leaves,” Belle said, giving her father a cold look. Then she turned back to Robert. “It’s always my job to help the children color some eggs. I could use some help, if you wouldn’t mind.”  
It was clear she would have been glad of any reason to get away from her father for a few moments. Robert quickly agreed to join her, leaving an angry Maurice behind.  
“Don’t mind him,” Belle told Robert when they were out of hearing range. “He’s just never really accepted that I can make my own choices now. I’m a grown woman, not a child, although I think sometimes, he wishes I were.”  
“I suppose most fathers wouldn’t like the idea of their daughter with a mental defective,” Robert said bitterly.  
“You aren’t!” Belle told him. “You suffered an injury. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.” She took his hand. “Come on. The children are waiting.”  
There was no way Robert could stay depressed when Belle was with him and they were spending time with children. He wasn’t ashamed to play with them, and if one seemed to struggle with decorating their egg, he would give them encouragement and offer help. He was such a natural with children, Belle watched him and wondered if he were a father.  
For a moment, she felt selfish. She knew she would miss him when he went back to wherever he belonged. He was one of the few people she knew who she could have a real conversation with. He was an intelligent, gentle man. She couldn’t keep wishing he would stay, though. Not if it meant he’d lose whatever life he’d had before. He would leave soon, and that would be that.  
That didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends and enjoy the time together until he did leave. Music started to play, and it didn’t take long for the dancing to begin. Robert looked at Belle, and wondered if he dared to ask her. Then somehow the words seemed to come without him even intending them to.  
“Would you care to dance?”  
She didn’t look happy at the idea, but not because she didn’t want to dance with him.  
“What about your leg?”  
He hadn’t needed his walking stick in days, but he knew overusing his leg would mean it would be sore the next day. He didn’t need to think about if it would be worth it.  
“I think it might do it some good to be used a little more.”  
Belle considered a moment, then slowly nodded at him. They started to move to the music, although not the way Robert would have if his leg were completely healed. The dance was over sooner than he wished it were too. He had to admit Belle was right, and ended up setting beside her as she gave him a look that somehow managed to combine “I told you so” with “Are you all right?”  
“I’ll be fine,” he told her. He didn’t want her worrying, especially when he’d enjoyed the dance so much. He had no regrets, and he didn’t want her to have any either. If he never did regain his memories, the memories he was forming from that moment on would be ones to treasure.  
He and Belle spent the rest of the day just listening to the music and watching the others. She invited him to join her and her family for the feast in the main square. Colette and Maurice ended up going home early (Belle suspected Colette had encouraged Maurice to let them enjoy some time without them). Robert made sure to walk Belle home before the streets were empty so there would be no gossip, but he watched the door where she’d gone in a few moments before heading back to the inn with a smile. That night he sat with his leg stretched in front of the fire for awhile before he went to bed. It had been such a wonderful day. He let himself daydream about it, and those daydreams shifted to what it would be like to stay. He shook his head. No, he had to at least try to learn who he really was, and if anyone was missing him. He tried to imagine who they could be, but the images wouldn’t form. He sighed and went to bed. As he fell asleep, he wondered if he should feel guilty or not for enjoying time with Belle. Yet how could it be wrong? He had no past. The future depended on if he ever remembered the past or not. Those moments in the present were all he had. 


	5. Chapter 5

Belle had exquisite taste in books. Robert finished reading the one she gave him in no time. The next time they saw each other, they spent hours talking about the book. Robert loved how he could they could have such deep talks. Talking about the book led to so many other subjects. They talked about the characters and the plot, and the world the story took place in. That led to Belle talking about how much she loved to travel, and the places she dreamed of seeing.  
Robert wished he could take her to those places. One day he found the next best solution. People in Avonlea often helped each other, and as long as Robert lived there, he was one of them. He never minded lending a hand. People would give him something in return, usually something simple like a loaf of bread. Sometimes, it was something he had no real use for, but could always sell or trade later.   
Knowing that, the bookseller knew Robert would accept a book in return for helping him Robert wasn’t limited to skills as a spinner. He was often able to help with repairing things and was able to help the bookseller with fixing a set of shelves. When the work was finished, the bookseller held out a volume.  
“I think you- or maybe someone you know- will enjoy this.”  
It was a book of far away places, filled with maps of the realms and different legends of those places. When he glanced through it, he though it felt almost as if he were transported to those distant lands. Belle would absolutely love it! Robert wondered if the bookseller knew how he felt about Belle. They had certainly never done anything improper, but they were seen together often enough that it wasn’t hard to guess they were growing closer.   
They met at their usual place that day, and Belle knew he had some sort of surprise for her. Even if she hadn’t noticed he was keeping a hand behind his back. She would have known. There was a light in his eyes when he felt the anticipation of giving her something. Belle wondered what it could be, and her eyes showed her own eagerness. It wasn’t that she was after gifts. It was that she loved how well he understood her. His gifts to her showed he knew who she was as a person. She often wondered if anyone else did.   
That day she had gifts for him as well, and she couldn’t wait for him to see them. She knew he wanted to start building memories, and one of them was perfect for that. The other would help him find his way. As she always did, she hurried to him. Robert wondered if she knew what it meant to him each time she looked so happy to see him.  
She was absolutely beaming as she held out her gifts for him.   
“I have something for you, too,” she told him.  
“Belle, you didn’t have to.”  
“I wanted to,” she said. “And you already gave me such a beautiful gift.” She was wearing the shawl again. “I wanted to give you something in return.”  
“You would make anything beautiful,” he told her. She’d heard compliments about her beauty all her life. When Robert complimented her, she knew he saw something beyond her appearance. There had been times when Belle wished she weren’t beautiful. It would have saved her from attention from men who didn’t see more than her face. Robert’s attention made her feel like she was glowing. She felt heat rush to her face as she held out her gifts. Robert handed her his gift to her at the same time.  
Robert opened the smaller of her gifts first. It was a golden compass, with a note that said “So you will always be able to find your way to happiness.” The second was a journal. On the inside cover Belle had written “To Robert, so you can look back on every memory you make. May they all be special. Belle.”   
“Thank you,” he said quietly. His voice showed how touched he was at the gifts. Belle loved the book just as much. She was already paging through it. For the moment she was lost in the worlds the book held.   
“This is perfect!” she gasped in excitement. “I feel almost as if I could step through the book and see the bazars of Agrabah or the Emerald City of Oz.” She closed her eyes a second, and Robert knew in her mind, she was traveling the realms. He would have been content to simply watch her like that all day. When she opened her eyes, she threw her arms around him. “Thank you!”  
He held her like that a moment. He’d hoped she would like it, but he hadn’t thought she’d be that thrilled. When they backed apart, she was beaming.  
“Someday I’m going to see all these places,” Belle told him, and he nodded.  
“I’m sure you will.”  
She sighed, wondering if she ever would. She knew what her father wanted. She loved her father. She honestly did. She only wished he’d be happy letting her be who she was.  
“Well anyway, thank you.”  
“And thank you,” he told her. He saw she wasn’t as happy as she had been a moment before and decided to lighten the moment. “I can honestly say these are the nicest gifts I can ever remember receiving.”  
Belle looked at him in disbelief and couldn’t help laughing.  
“Are you joking? You’re actually making a joke about that?” Here he had his entire past ripped from him, and he found the strength to joke about it. Just to make her laugh.  
“Maybe,” he answered with a smile. They both laughed, and soon they were pouring through her book together, imagining all the places in it. That night, he wrote about her, his first entry in his diary. On paper, he was free to say how he was starting to feel about her, even if he couldn’t quite say the words aloud.


	6. Chapter 6

Spinning was the only thing close to a memory that Robert had so far. It came so naturally to him, and it seemed he was closest to remembering when he spun. Next to being with Belle, it was the time he was happiest. Both Belle and Shaun realized he spun far more than he had to just to earn a living. Belle was honestly becoming worried he spent too much time spinning inside.  
“It’s so beautiful outside lately,” she told him. “You should get some sunlight.”  
“I’ll tell you what,” he told her after a moment of considering. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll get some sunlight, if you get some with me. Come with me on a picnic tomorrow? I thought we could have it on one of the hills outside the city.”  
Belle agreed on the condition he let her provide the food. He would provide the dishes. He was fairly certain he didn’t usually buy things on a whim, but this tea set had somehow called to him. He didn’t know why. It was a pretty set, but he wasn’t especially in need of one. It would be one more thing to carry on his long walk through the Frontlands. Yet for some reason, when he saw it, he bought it without a second thought. He wondered then if maybe it had been meant for this occasion.  
Robert would never have risked Belle’s reputation, so he invited the bookseller’s wife, Gabrielle, to come with them. Gabrielle was a wise woman who knew a couple falling in love when she saw one, and she gave the couple just enough space so no one could spread gossip about her husband’s favorite customer.   
Gabrielle told them she was tired from their climb up the hill and would eat after a nap in the sun. While she wasn’t a young woman, she was far from old, and the hill had a gentle enough slope to not be tiring. With his leg still not quite completely well, Robert should have been more tired than she was. He and Belle both realized what she was doing and were grateful to her.  
The sun was shining down on their side of the hill, and it felt fantastic to be enjoying it together. The blanket was soon spread, and the food taken out. Belle had prepared quite the small feast. There were sandwiches, small cakes, and best of all miniature meat pies. She handed one to Robert, never expecting the result.  
Robert didn’t taste the pie before being overwhelmed. It was the smell that did it. He knew he’d smelled that before. Someone else had made meat pies for him, knowing that was his favorite food. That someone- or was it someones?- had loved him. He couldn’t see their faces in his mind, but it seemed he could feel them. They’d been poor, but they’d always done all they could to make him feel special.   
He wished he could remember their names or faces, but no other memory came. There was nothing else to tell him who he was, much less who the people who’d baked meat pies for him had been. He must have been lost in the attempt at a memory longer than he realized. When he came out of it, Belle was looking at him fearfully.  
“Robert, can you hear me? Are you all right?”  
He nodded and started to explain.  
“Someone else made these for me before. I’m sure of it.”  
Belle breathed a sigh of relief.  
“You had me worried.” Then she studied him sadly and asked “Have you had moments like that before?”  
He shook his head.  
“Not even in dreams.” In fact, his dreams were of her more and more often.  
“I’m sorry,” she said sadly. “Do- do you have any idea who the someone you almost remembered could be?”  
“Only a feeling,” he answered. “I think there were two women. I want to say my aunts, but that’s just a guess. I can’t see their faces or remember their names. It’s like-“ he tried to find the right words. “It’s almost like seeing things through a fog. Or perhaps it’s more like remembering part of a dream and thinking it was real before being completely awake.”  
Belle couldn’t imagine what that must be like, for a person to have no knowledge of their own past. She reached for his hand, and that was when she realized she was no longer holding the teacup she’d picked up just before Robert had his flash of memory. She looked for it and realized she’d dropped it. It wasn’t broken, but there was a small chip in the brim of it now.  
“It’s chipped,” she said, wondering if he would be upset. “You can barely see it.”  
“Well it’s just a cup,” he told her, then reached for her hand. They stayed like that for a moment before they started eating again. Their talk changed to other things. Belle had often seemed hesitant to talk about her past. Robert was sure that was because she knew he couldn’t talk about his. Instead they talked about the future.   
They talked about which place Belle would visit first if she could go anywhere she wanted. She’d thought of that often, but each land seemed so exotic and enticing that she’d never decided before.   
“The only way I’ve ever seen anyplace is in books. I’d love to see if those places are anywhere like what I’ve read. Atlantis, or maybe Zhongguo,” she said, naming the realm where Dragons were said to originate and there were tales of a great woman warrior.   
“I hope when you see those places, they’re everything the books described,” he told her. He let himself daydream a moment about what it would be like for them to travel together. What memories that would build! To see all those places with her would be a dream. Then he remembered a dream might be all that would ever be.  
“We don’t know what might be in the future,” he said, more to himself than her. “And I have no past.”  
“All we have is now,” Belle added quietly. He looked at her, and without either of them realizing it, their faces moved closer together. Their lips almost touched, and their eyes were closed. They’d been so absorbed in talking and enjoying the food they hadn’t noticed the storm rolling in. Just before their lips met, a crash of thunder broke them from the moment. Gabrielle, who had still been giving them space, came running.  
“Never saw a storm come up that fast in all my life! Better run for it!” she shouted. Robert helped quickly pack up the dishes and the remaining food and made sure Belle and Gabriel could get under the blanket quickly once the rain started. They all hurried down the hill as quickly as they could, and almost made it home before the rain started. They made it to the arch over the door of the bookshop and stood in the arch as the first drops fell. Gabrielle went inside, leaving the two of them along again for a moment.   
“It looks like we’re going to be here for the moment,” Robert told her. She nodded, looking anything except upset.  
“Yes, it does. Now, um, where were we?”  
Robert cupped her face in his hands, and their lips met. He might not have a past, but the present was something splendid.


	7. Chapter 7

The two didn’t know how long the kiss lasted. They were too lost in the moment. If not for the weather, they might have stayed like that for a long, long time. Eventually, as hard as it was raining, the arch over the shopkeeper’s door wasn’t adequate shelter. They went inside, where a good hot cup of tea was waiting for them.   
Gabrielle gave them their space like before. No one could blame them for not going out in such heavy rain, and Gabrielle could verify nothing inappropriate happened. Robert was hoping for a good long downpour. His wish was granted, and the rains continued until the evening. They’d spent almost the whole day together before the rains stopped and Robert walked her home. Gabrielle walked a short way behind them so she could verify nothing had happened that would tarnish Belle’s reputation.   
As they walked, Robert noticed he was walking close to normally again. His leg hadn’t been painful for awhile as long as he didn’t overexert himself. That day though, with all the walking he’d done, he should have been limping badly.  
Instead, there was only a slight limp, barely noticeable anymore. He wasn’t in pain when he walked. The muscles in his leg simply needed to get used to working correctly again. He knew that there was no more reason he had to stay. Remaining in Avonlea any longer was his own choice.   
He knew he could do that. He also knew if he did, he might never know who he really was. If he had any family, they would think he was dead. No, it was time he tried to go home, even if he was leaving the most important person in the only world he knew behind. She was too important, he had to admit. If he stayed any longer, he wouldn’t be able to force himself to leave.   
He knew he should never have kissed Belle. He wouldn’t be able to get her out of his head, even without that kiss. But perhaps, if there was no one waiting for him, he could come back to Avonlea. If there was, he didn’t know how he could ever move past Belle. She wasn’t making it easy on him.  
“I enjoyed today so much,” she said, and it was clear how sincerely she meant it.   
“So did I,” he answered. Belle caught the notes of regret in his voice.  
“But?” she prompted.  
“We both know my leg is almost well. Certainly well enough for me to make it to the Frontlands without trouble.” He paused. “Belle, I stayed in Avonlea to earn some money for the journey and give myself time to heal. I’ve done both of those things. There’s only one reason to stay, and if I give in and let that reason keep me here any longer, I won’t be able to make myself leave.”  
Belle stopped and looked at him, then nodded sadly.   
“I know. If you stay you might never know who you really are.” She forced a smile. “I know that you’re someone special, no matter who you turn out to be.” Then she asked “Will you let me know, once you find out?”  
He nodded. He wanted to tell her he would be back once he knew, but he wouldn’t make a promise he didn’t know if he could keep. Besides, even if he had no family, why should Belle choose him? He didn’t exactly have much to offer her. He winced at how far he had let things go.  
“Belle, if I hurt you in any way, even accidentally-“  
“I wouldn’t trade the times we had for never knowing you,” she told him. “Do you know you’re the only person I’ve ever felt I could really talk with? I’ll miss that, but I wouldn’t trade missing you for never knowing you.”  
Robert wasn’t sure he’d have been able to resist kissing her once more if Maurice hadn’t opened the door just then. Gabrielle hurried to reassure him it was only the rain that had kept her that late and that Robert had been a perfect gentleman. Before Belle went in, she turned and looked at Robert again.  
“You’ll come to say goodbye before you go?”  
“I will.” That much he could promise. He watched her go inside, an then headed back to the inn. Gabrielle had to head past there towards the book shop, and she looked at him sadly as they walked together.  
“I know that head injury made you forget your past, Robert. I doubt that young lady can ever forget you though.”  
“I could never forget her either,” he said quietly.   
That night as he packed his few possessions, he wondered once more what he would find, and how his family, if he had any, would react to him not knowing them. He supposed he would find out soon enough. He packed the handkerchief with the letter “R,” some clothes, and the gifts from Belle. He’d reread that book she’d given him as often as she had, he thought with a smile. He put that in his sack along with the compass and diary.   
Then he looked at the tea set. It had been a silly thing to buy, after all. Just one more thing he’d have to carry for a long ways. There was no reason to take it with him. It would make far more sense give it to Belle before he left. He packed it back in the box it had came in, each piece wrapped in paper and packed in straw.   
He stopped when it came to the chipped cup. He couldn’t quite manage to let that go. Wrapping it carefully, he added it to his sack. It would be one more memento of the only life he could remember, and the person who’d helped him shape the only memories he had.


	8. Chapter 8

Saying goodbye the next morning was even harder than either of them had expected. Robert gave Belle the tea set, and she noticed the chipped cup was missing. She couldn’t help smiling at the idea that he had kept it as a memento. Their time together would always be special to them, no matter how brief it had been. She was glad he had a way to look back on it,  
“I hope whatever your past is that it was happy,” Belle told him. “Your future too.”   
“If I ever find out,” he said. There was a small part of him that was afraid to know. His past might be one long nightmare. Or worse, what if he learned the past only to find everything he’d loved was gone? With the ogre attacks, these were dangerous times.  
“You will,” she said. “You’re already starting to remember pieces of it.”  
That was true. He had two pieces of his past already. He knew someone had taught him to spin, and someone had made him meat pies once. Once he knew that his past was clear, he could know what path to take in the future. He wanted to tell Belle she’d be part of that future, but he couldn’t know that yet. He took her hand and gave it one last squeeze. He resisted the urge to kiss her. Leaving was already too hard.   
“Thank you again, Belle. For everything.”  
There was no use delaying any longer. Neither of them could seem to find any more words. Once he was a short way down the road, he turned to give one more wave. Belle went back inside after that. She knew she had to go back to life the way it had been. She knew her father would be relieved. He’d been worried she was growing too close to Robert. Colette was more sympathetic. She’d seen how happy Belle had been ever since Robert came to town.  
“If you two are meant to be together,” she told her, “It will work out somehow.”  
Maurice had other ideas.   
“That handsome Lord Legume is returning from his hunting trip soon.”  
Belle and Colette both grimaced.  
“Papa I can’t stand Gaston! I don’t care how handsome he is. A shallower, more conceited man I’ve never met!   
“Perhaps you haven’t given him a fair chance,” Maurice told her. “Every girl in Avonlea would love to catch his eye.”  
“Then I’ll keep hoping one of them does,” Belle said coldly. “Although I’d feel sorry for whatever poor girl he ends up with.”  
One thing was for certain. She’d never let herself be trapped in a loveless marriage with that horrible Gaston! She loved her father and would do almost anything for him, but he would have to see a life of being married to Gaston would be sheer torture for her.  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
Months passed, and Gaston did indeed return from his hunting trip. After stopping at the tavern to brag about his kills, the first thing he did was to call on Belle. She thanked the gods she was the only one home at the time, because she could refuse to even open the door to him. Unfortunately, Maurice invited him to supper that night, and arranged for Belle to meet him several times after.   
She was beginning to run out of excuses. Colette tried to tell Maurice how entirely mismatched Belle was with Gaston, but he was so certain she would love Gaston in time that he wouldn’t listen. Colette often gave Belle reasons to not be at home, but Gaston ended up waiting for her in town. So far he’d done nothing worse than make innuendos about how life would be married to him. So far she’d also resisted the urge to vomit at the thought.  
It was after running into her in town, and her quickly fleeing, that Gaston first heard talk of the man with no memory who’d been spending time with Belle. To Gaston, the idea that a woman wanted absolutely nothing to do with him and would prefer another man was inconceivable. After all, wasn’t he the most handsome man around? And wasn’t Belle the most beautiful woman? Wouldn’t she want to have the most beautiful children in the realms with him? All sons, naturally.  
That made for a complete shock for him when he learned about Robert from gossipers in town. Certainly Belle couldn’t be interested in someone like that? Why would she be when she had him? Yet the more he heard, the more he didn’t like. No one could claim Belle had ever done anything society would frown on, but it was clear she saw this stranger as more than a friend.   
Something had to be done. This Robert had left, but what if he learned he was unmarried? What if he never learned his past and decided to come back for Belle? It was a slight chance, but not one Gaston would risk. There had to be a way to be sure.   
Gaston learned Robert was headed for the Frontlands. That was enough for him to put his plan in motion. The amnesiac would be searching every town in the Frontlands. He was on foot, so someone on horseback could easily outpace him. Since Robert would be stopping at the closest villages to Avonlea first, Gaston was sure his man could reach a certain person he knew before Robert arrived. It would be easy enough to pass him a message. Then, he would never have to worry about Robert ever returning to Belle.


End file.
